(IMPORTANT A/N AT THE END! PLEASE READ!)

Lucy

When your little sister knocks on your door, and in a very small, humble voice asks you if you can give them some advice, you know something’s not right.

Simone is one of the louder girls in the sophomore class. Her voice is one you could pick out at a pep rally once she starts singing the school song or yelling that our school is the best in the state, even on the other side of the gym. So, when her voice slipped under the crack of the door in a way I hadn’t heard it since preschool, maybe, I knew I had to let her in.

I looked down at my guitar and sighed. I hadn’t strummed a single string on it. I had planned to practice for an hour a day, but I already knew it wasn’t going to work out so well. I hadn’t practiced at all so far this trip. I was so behind. I quickly set it down and went to the door, opening it up.

Simone stood there, waiting for me. Her brown hair framed her face in a way that made her look at least two years younger. She chewed on her lower lip, her right hand still formed in a fist from knocking only a few moments earlier.

“Si?” I asked softly. “Si, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” she answered, looking up at me. “I just want some advice.”

“Okay. Come on in,” I said and step aside for her to enter. She quickly came in and sat on my bed next to my guitar. “Were you gonna practice?” she asked. “I can come back later,” she added.

I quickly shook my head. “Its fine,” I assured her as I sat on the bed beside her. “What’s wrong?” I asked again.

“Nothing, I just want some advice,” she repeated.

Only then did it occur to me that she really did want my advice, or maybe just someone’s advice, period. “Okay,” I said softly. “What about?”

“Love, crushes, stuff like that.”

If I had a glass of water, I probably would have done a spit take. She wanted my advice on love? Mine? “Why are you asking me?”

“Because of you and Niall,” she reasoned.

“I denied my feelings for three months. How am I a good person to ask about this?” I inquired.

“Because you know when you’re really crushing on each other,” she reasoned.

“And Courtney doesn’t?” I asked, confused. “Or Lizzie or Ana? They’re actually in relationships with people. Or what about Kelly? She knows about the twists and turns of relationships,” I pointed out.

I saw Simone chew on her lip. “Well,” she begins, “I kinda don’t want advice from a person who still hasn’t changed her relationship status from It’s Complicated. It’s a little off-putting, if you ask me.”

“Okay, one, wow that was harsh,” I said, “and two, off-putting?”

“One, it’s honest, and two, I can use good vocabulary too. I think that’s okay,” Simone said.

I rolled my eyes at this comment. I put my arms behind my back and leaned back a bit. As I did this, though, I felt my phone buzz in my pocket. Simone sat quietly as I slipped it out of my pocket to check what it was. It was a Facebook notification. I opened the app and looked at what it said.

Kelly Gonzalez is in a relationship.

Of course, Zayn’s name wasn’t mentioned, because nobody was supposed to know Zayn was with her. So, she just didn’t put the name into it. But, I used it as evidence anyway.

I lifted the screen so Simone could see it. “Kelly Gonzalez is in a relationship,” I read to her, smirking slightly.

She just rolled her eyes. “She still had a really complicated relationship,” she said. Yup, she was going to be stubborn about it. This was going to be a long chat.

“I tried,” I sighed and slipped my phone into my pocket again. “But what about Courtney? Or Lizzie, or Ana?”

“Ana’s with Harry, watching a movie as she rests her arm,” Simone begins. But, before she could add another comment, I cut in.

“What happened to Ana’s arm?”

“She fell on the ice and hit her wrist. She’s fine, though. Harry’s been helping her out so she doesn’t have to use that arm,” Simone explained.

I nodded in understanding. “Okay, makes sense. Good for him,” I said. “Anyway, Lizzie and Courtney?”

“Lizzie’s trying to keep Michael from being rude towards Louis while she tries to keep Louis from realizing that Michael doesn’t like him,” Simone said.

“Probably too late for that last bit,” I shrugged.

“Yeah, no kidding,” Simone said with a nod.

“Okay, so Kelly, Ana, and Lizzie are all out. But what about Courtney?” I asked her. “Why can’t you ask her?”

“Having a verbally abusive ex-boyfriend doesn’t really scream ‘love guru’ to me,” Simone said, and my eyes widened.

“Wow, someone’s pretty snappy today,” I muttered, pretty shocked at what was coming out of my little sister’s mouth. “What’s gotten into you?”

“Lucy!” Simone yelled at me, facing me. There was a fire in her eyes, just like she always had when she was annoyed.

“What?” I asked in response.

“Is it that bad to want to ask your sister for some advice?” Simone asked me.

“I’m just saying there are people who are way more qualified to give this advice than I am!” I reasoned with her.

“You’re being stubborn,” Simone said. “You’re just not willing to help me out with a problem you’re having yourself.”

“Simone-,” I began, but she then cut me off.

“You’re stalling. Are you going to help me or not?”

“Why do you want my help? I bet even the boys would be happy to help you, and be better at it than me,” I tried.

“Because I want to talk to my sister, okay?” Simone asked. By this point, there were actual tears in her eyes. “This summer, you and the girls will be gone. You’ll all be going to college, being adults, while I’m still stuck in high school, wishing I was there with you. I just want to spend as much time with you girls as possible, especially my sister.” Tears rolled down her cheeks as she talked, and I could tell she was being sincere about it.

I felt absolutely terrible about this. She was right. In a few months, we were graduating. Oh, that was terrifying, honestly. I don’t know what I’m supposed to do. I applied for my dream school, Oxford with international affairs and music as my double majors, as well as a few fallback schools. But having to become an adult; now that was a bit scary. I’ve spent eighteen years of my life being a kid, who didn’t have to pay the bills, or make their own food that often, or anything like that. This was really scary to think about.

“Say something,” Simone said softly.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered. “I’m so, so sorry. I didn’t think about that. I feel terrible.”

“It’s okay,” she whispered back. She wiped the tears away from her eyes and looked up at me.

“I’m willing to give you some advice now, if you still want it,” I said softly. I moved my arms from behind my back and hugged her tightly, not wanting to let her go after what she just said to me.

“I’d love it,” Simone smiled.

“So what’s the problem?” I asked her.

“Well, earlier today, I was hanging out with Tanner,” she began, and I smiled. “We were hanging out, trying to decide what movie to watch. Our hands brushed, and I felt this tingle rush up my arm.”

I smiled. “You like him, don’t you?” I asked her.

“That’s the problem. I have no idea,” Simone shrugged. “I think I do, but I thought I liked Kyle earlier. But that lasted about a week. That didn’t work at all. And then it was Josh, and then it was gone as soon as he was out of sight. I just don’t know if I should go for this or not.”

“Why would you think you shouldn’t?” I asked her.

“I don’t want to lead him on,” Simone said softly.

I looked at her, and sighed. “Okay, here’s what I think you should do. I think you should stay back for a bit. See how your feelings develop. If they last longer than a few days, go for it. But don’t be too obvious or obnoxious about it. That doesn’t work out well for anyone. Just let it develop.”

My little sister smiled at me and gave me a hug. “Thanks, Lucy,” she said.

“No problem,” I smiled. “I’m sorry about everything.”

“Honestly, its okay,” she responded as she hugged me. “Can I give you some advice?” She asked.

“Sure,” I said, although I wasn’t denying that I knew what this advice would be.

“Go for it.”

And there was the advice I had heard from everyone who knew about my “relationship” with Niall. I should take a chance and give a relationship with him a shot. But what these people didn’t understand was that now, I did want it.

That’s right. I did want a relationship with Niall. I kind of always had, but now I was sure of it. I wanted to be with him. The months we had spent apart had solidified it. But what was I supposed to do? Walk up to him and say, “Let’s go out?” That sounded too much like Courtney. As much as I loved that girl like my own sister, I could never do something like that.

“I plan on going for it,” I admit. “The problem is that I just don’t know how without sounding too forward and awkward.”

“Lucy, he likes you. You like him. One of you has to make a move, and Niall already tried a lot over the summer. But you were keeping your heart hidden, and kept turning him away. You have to stop doing that and let someone care about you and love you,” Simone said.

“Okay, why did you come ask me for advice when that just came out of your mouth? “I think I talk to your friend Quinn too much when she comes over to study,” Simone laughed a bit.

“You’ve been having conversations with the school Love Guru?” I asked her, raising an eyebrow. Why would Simone just decide to talk to her about relationships and stuff? It had to be related to the Kyle thing, or the Josh thing, or whatever guy she had started crushing on over the school year so far. Wow. “You should have just asked her for advice.”

“She was at home, you were here. Didn’t feel like calling. Plus if I didn’t ask you for advice, I wouldn’t have had an opportunity to give you my advice.” Simone smirked at me and tapped the top of her head with her finger. “I’m always thinking, sis.”

“Yeah, you sure are,” I said in response. “Wow Simone. I definitely underestimated you.”

“People just don’t understand how amazing I am,” she smiled. She flipped her hair over her shoulder in the supermodel style and we both erupted in laughter.

“I love you sis,” I found myself saying to her in the middle of our laugh attack.

My sister grinned at me. “I love you too sis. You’re the best sister in the world,” she said and hugged me.

“Why do I feel like, since we’re having all these confessions, that we’re drunk and we’re some of those emotional people who tell all their secrets when they have alcohol in their systems?” I joked.

“Well, because first of all I don’t think any of the guys brought any beer, because the only person that could have it would be Louis-,” she began, but then I cut her off.

“Okay, I’ve probably caused you to be like this, but stop ruining jokes with logic,” I ordered.

“Well, it was you and Ana anyway,” she laughed, and I found myself laughing along.

Even when we fought, I was glad I had my sister. I don’t think last summer and this break would be as fun without her. Just promise you won’t tell her I said this, ever.

I plan on using her advice though. I’m going to talk to Niall later on and see how this whole thing is going to work. I’m finally baring my heart after stalling for all these long months. I’m finally going to let him in, and I’m perfectly okay with that.

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A/N

To all my loyal followers and readers, I am so sorry. I know it has been about two months since I updated. Life got hectic in late April and all of May, and I got writer's block on this story. I couldn't figure out anything. But now I remember where I was planning to take this story and I will finish it for you. I hope this summer I have more time to write and update this and all of my other stories for you.

Trust me, I really do feel bad about this. I'm working on updates for this story now more than ever, as well as updates for Zipped (and Poster Perfect once I get through the writer's block on that one).

Please tell me, once I get an update of Zipped out there, what story do you want me to update next? I will work my hardest to make it happen for you. I appreciate you all so much.

I'm not going to beg you guys to vote, comment or follow on this one. But I would appreciate it. I love you all so much and I hope you keep reading, whenever my messed up writing schedule works out.

Love you all,

Noel